Nader to Celebrate 50th Reunion By Addressing Government Reform

Matthew Hersh

You may not find Ralph Nader partying at the 50th Reunion tent this weekend, but you will definitely find the public advocate, two-time presidential candidate, and University alumnus urging his Princeton audience to challenge the government.

This Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Nassau Presbyterian Church on Nassau Street, Ralph Nader will deliver a speech entitled, ³The Future For You,² urging Princeton students, alumni, and the community, to "reform American politics." Singer-songwriter Patti Smith and musician Lenny Kaye will also be on hand for a live performance.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the town itself, the spring, and the beauty of the campus," Mr. Nader said in an interview, but quickly changed gears when explaining the real purpose of his visit. "We're not only going back for nostalgia, because it is a wonderful occasion, and while there's a lot of entertainment and fun, there are also serious lectures at the church we hope will get to grips with some of the problems and solutions facing the country."

Mr. Nader said his goal is to initiate an attitude of "civic self-confidence" among students and graduates alike to "help fight city hall.

"We have to learn as a society, region, and nation, to put forward people who really have the solutions," he said.

Mr. Nader praised the troupe of University undergraduate students who went to Washington, D.C., to protest Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's (R-Tenn) threat to exercise the "nuclear option" of removing the Senate filibuster against court nominees. As of press time, a contingent of moderate senators had come to an agreement that would put the nominees to a full vote on the Senate floor.

But the effort by the students inspired Mr. Nader.

"There's a perfect example of an innovation by a small number of students which has captured the imagination of a lot of people around the country," he said. "There's a lot of potential."

Mr. Nader recalled that ³fifty years ago there were no women at Princeton, automobiles had few safety features, African Americans had few civil rights, many classmates smoked cigarettes (in the classrooms) and knew nothing about the food they consumed. The Clean Air and Water Acts were not even conceived."